


Sun Burn

by aerographer (Aerographer)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Mythstuck, daves a fucking dragon holy shit, dragonstuck, fantasystuck, i also wrote this instead of sleeping, i finally snapped and wrote this, i mean come on guys dragons are awesome, johns a lame knight in bLUE SHINING ARMOR WOW, like seriously, persuade me to make this as long as possible, who doesnt love dragons???, yell at me to finish this because i know i wont otherwise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-04 14:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4141458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerographer/pseuds/aerographer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John was just your typical knight. Except of course, he fought dragons to keep himself alive. Quite contradictory isn't it? Follow John on his adventures to find and kill problematic dragons, get a companion (wink wink nudge nudge), find many species of mythical creatures, and maybe even fight in a war.</p><p>(edit: changed the title because i wasn't feeling it)</p><p>ON HAITUS UNTIL MID JULY</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Your name is Johnathan Egbert and you've been heading off from your home city of Prospit in search of a new job opportunity. Your job is rather unheard of, and there's a good reason for it. You are a dragon knight. To put it simply, you're a knight that pursues dragons, often times to slay them. You didn't enjoy killing dragons, but if the situation called for it, you did what you needed to. Your job is unheard of for one simple reason. Many knights died on their first quests, and the few who didn't often travel in search of work. This lead to the situation you're currently in.

You’d been traveling for many, many miles and had yet to come across the next town. You were running low on funds and you didn’t know if you’d be able to pay the fares for housing yourself for even a night. If you couldn’t do that then you certainly wouldn’t be able to buy feed for your mare. You grimaced at this thought and looked down at said horse. She was easily and honestly the most beautiful mare you’d ever seen. Her soft coat glittered and shone in a lovely gold but her white muzzle and soft pink nose were prone to sunburns. Her bright blue eyes shone with intelligence and her mane and tail flowed like fine thread. Casey was her name. She’d been a final gift from your father just before his unfortunate passing. You reached down and gave her neck a loving pat to which she snorted in acknowledgment.

Finally, after what seemed like months of traveling despite only being a few weeks, you arrived at the next town. You halted your mare once it was visible and inspected the place.  Augbohrn said the sign. It was a rather large town that sat in the center of a bowl valley. It had a main street and quite a few businesses as well as several inns. A medium sized castle was seated on the northwestern end of the town and was nestled against a large hill. Large farms dotted the area outside the town and spread all the way to the adjacent hill. You could spot four other trails that deposited travelers and one was rather wide, suggesting that it was a major route. You could smell food cooking and your stomach growled loudly. You made a face and pulled your money pouch from one of your many saddle bags. You loosed the drawstring and pulled it open to inspect the contents. Four silver coins. Just enough for a scrawny meal and a tiny room for the night. You might have to sleep in the barn with Casey but it would be worth it if she could get food as well.

You sighed and spurred Casey down the trail. You squeezed her sides with your calfs and she quickened into an extended trot. As you got closer and closer to the town, the smells of food got heftier and the sounds of people got louder. You could hear people conversing, children laughing and screaming, and drunken men hollering at ladies in the streets. You wrinkled your nose at the latter, chastising women was something that men should never do. When you arrived in the town, you tried to stay on side streets. Peering down alleys and connecting avenues, you could see some kind of festival happening. Women who wore colorful skirts that billowed and spun were gliding down the street. They sang and chanted and spun and danced with grins on their faces. They tossed strings with bright beads to children and waved thin flags of all different colors. They radiated happiness. Your spirits were heightened by the beautiful display and you felt a smile tugging at your lips.

Suddenly, your hungry stomach brought you back to the present. You needed to find a place to stay for the night and a place to eat. You’d worry about finding work in the morning after you’d slept. You urged Casey forward and your gaze swept up and down streets and alleys until your eyes finally landed on a place you thought would suit your needs. “Skaia” was written on a cedar hanging sign in thick, swirling cursive. The outside of the building looked quite plain. Made out of stone with thick slabs of wood laid down to smooth an area for a thin pane window, the wooden door was worn and looked as if it had seen better days. But it had a barn that fed your horses free if you boarded them for any amount of time. You walked Casey up to the inn and handed her to a barn hand. He took her around back and you set off inside the building.

The inside of the building was by far in much better condition than the outside. The wood floors were polished to the point of shining. The chairs were clean and smooth and tables were clean and covered in white cloths. The beams that ran along the ceiling had large steel chandeliers hanging from them and on the branches of the intricate pieces were candles that lit the room well. There was a woven mat that was vibrantly colored with reds, blues, oranges, and greens. Said mat led from the front door to the counter for check-in. You admired the room and its decor and walked to the check-in counter. After waiting for a few minutes, a large, dark skinned woman emerged from behind a curtain that led to an unknown area. She smiled widely at you and shuffled to the counter to talk to you. Her eyes twinkled happily.

"How can I help ya', child? Do ya need a room and food? Do you have a steed with ya' that'll be needin' housin' as well?" She inquired heartily while taking in your disheveled appearance.

Her voice was deep but light. She had deep wrinkles around her eyes and her smile lines etched deeply into her cheeks.

"Yes ma'am. I would like to stay overnight if it isn't any trouble? I have my horse out back already." You replied.

The woman's happy aura made you feel quite happy. She seemed like a lovely person.

"Of course, my dear boy. Feedin' for you and ya' horse are free here so all's ya' have to pay for is the bed and board. And that'll be 20 gemt if ya' don't mind." She gently extended her hand out to you and after patting around for your money pouch, you deposited two silver coins into her palm.

"Thank ya', child." She set the money aside and began writing up your room and board ticket. As she did this she asked you a few questions. "Are ya' new to Augbohrn?" She inquired.

"Yes ma'am. I've come from the city of Prospit." You leaned on the counter and looked out a side window to watch the people bustle about in the midday heat.

"Prospit huh! That's quite the journey, ay? At least two weeks?" You noticed her eyebrows raise as she spoke.

"Yes ma'am. I've been traveling for about three, actually. The scenery is magnificent." You smile as you respond, and think back to the lovely forests that seemed to be a deep blue in color.

"Well then, my boy. I say you've earned quite the rest. What's ya' name? How long do ya' plan on stayin'?" She straightened from scribbling on the ticket and looked at you curiously.

"My name is Johnathan Egbert, I'm a dragon knight from Prospit, and I plan on staying for the night, or maybe two at the latest."

"Well, Johnathan, it's lovely to meet ya'. Ya' can call me Mrs. Paint. Please feel free to come ask for anything ya'll be needin'." She grinned again and you extended your hand for her to shake.

She bat your offered hand aside and instead opted to pull you in for a hug. Your clunky armor made it hard to do, but you managed. She smelled like lavender and hay and horses and it was a very comforting smell. For some reason it reminded you of your father.

After you pulled away from the hug, you smiled and thanked her. She said that supper would be set on the table at about 8 and encouraged you to go roam around town until then. You decided to take her advice and do just that.

The town was just as large as it looked. You found many bars and inns and shops, even a brothel or two. You stopped and looked in the windows of shops and looked at the fruits and jewelry and clothes that merchants were selling. Large men with beards and vests and joyful laughter sold heads of lettuce and tomatoes as wide as the palm of your hand. Men and women with shifty eyes sold beautiful chains of woven gold and silver that glittered and reflected their shine on the buildings and caught the eyes of everyone who passed by. Vendors with children on their hips sold scarves and sashes and small trinkets like brass rings and small jewels encased in thin cages of silver worn on earlobes. Dressmakers and seamstresses had their doors wide open and had put some of their work on display in front of their shops. A thin man who repaired tack and sold feed stood on a box and yelled about a sale going on. Men, women, and children flooded around you and the hustle and bustle of the town excited you greatly. It truly was quite a sight to see.

You walked aimlessly around the town for hours before returning to Skaia. When you arrived, Mrs. Paint welcomed you with a large smile and ushered you over to a table.

“Sit here, child. I’ll go get ya’ somethin’ for ya’ hungry stomach.” She patted your shoulder, making your armor clinck, and walked around the room, greeting the other guests and finally disappeared around the curtain at the check-in counter.

She returned moments later with two plates in her hands and a large glass of what you assumed to be beer. She made her way back over to you and set the two plates down in front of you.

“Thank you!” You smiled up at her and once again she patted your armored shoulder.

“Of course, child. Ya’ eat up now! When ya’ finish I’ll show ya’ to your room.” She smiled warmly and left you to eat.

You did so with vigor. The first plate held two large slabs of ham. Each slice was coated in a maple glaze and the smell was amazing. The second plate was piled with corn, potatoes, green beans, and a medium sized bread roll. The ham was amazing and it had a very unique taste. The vegetables and potatoes were fresh and buttered and all around very good. The roll was buttery and seemed to melt in your mouth. All in all, the meal had you full. You hadn’t had a full stomach since you’d left Prospit three weeks earlier and this was certainly a welcomed feeling. The beer washed everything down and left you feeling warm and content. You’d polished both plates clean and sighed happily, leaning back in your chair. You lightly patted your full stomach and let your eyelids droop. A few minutes later, Mrs. Paint swooped over and picked up your empty dishes and hustled into the back of the inn. She returned after a few moments and grinned down at you.

“I take it ya’ enjoyed the mean, child?” She inquired.

“Yes ma’am. It was fantastic. Thank you very much.” You sleepily smiled back at her.

She put a hand under your arm and yanked you to your feet.

“I’ll show ya’ where you’ll be sleepin’ tonight.”

She led you from the large room and guided you up a set of stairs and down a narrow hallway. Paintings of a barren landscape adorned the halls. Cactuses and sand and interesting, small animals were the primary focus.

“What is this place?” You asked her.

“Ah, that’s my homeland. A small town called Derse. I come from a country called Alternia. It’s very, very far from here. Some of the country is desert but most of it is thick forests and large plains. The desert is where I come from. My husband, Slick, is still there tendin’ to our farm. He promised to come back to me soon though.” You didn’t miss the nostalgia in her voice. “It’s very beautiful there.”

“I hope you get to see your husband again soon, ma’am.” You put your hand on her wide shoulder to comfort her.

“Thank ya’, child. I hope I do too.” She smiled and for a second you could see how weary she was. Running an inn must have been very taxing.

“Here is ya’ room, child. Sleep well, breakfast will be there as soon as you get downstairs.” She patted your back and your armor thumped against your back.

You thanked her and shut the door gently behind you. The room was small. There was a medium sized bed pushed against the wall with a small night-table next to it. A large mirror was hanging on the east wall and several candle holders were hung around the room. A woven burgundy rug laid in the middle of the room. It was small room, but it was homey. After you had admired the room, you plopped down on the edge of the bed and began the grueling task of removing your armor. That took you a great amount of time, and energy. Once you finished doing that, you stripped down to your underwear, polished your armor with your shirt, and settled down for bed. You were asleep the second your head hit the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is still pretty boring but we meet dave so idk that makes up for it a little bit i guess 
> 
> Also: I forgot to write in johns hammer during chapter 1 so just pretend like hes had it the whole time

When you opened your eyes you were in a cave. It was dark and damp and it smelled rancid. You blinked and sat up. You were perched on a ledge that sat about 40 feet from the ground. You couldn't see very much, but you could tell that the cave was large. It was flat and wide. You could make out piles of gold and silver that covered the cavern floor. Diamonds and rubies and sapphires cascaded down mountains of shimmering wealth. The riches were beautiful but they did nothing to water down the putrid odor of urine and feces and rotting flesh. You gagged and covered your nose with your hand. It was horrible.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. Something was coming. Something large. Soon the trembling became harsh booming. The gold and gems began to bounce and collide and spill to the floor. The creature causing the calamity emerged from the caverns in the west end of the cave. It was hideous. It was the biggest Malachite Reaper you'd ever seen. All of its yellow spots had been replaced by ugly green patches. And it wore a tattered green rag like a robe. It’s body bulged with muscles. It was missing its back left leg and the stump had been replaced by a thick golden peg leg. Like a pirates. But its face. Oh god its face. The skin was stretched over the skull to the point where you thought it would tear. The eyelids were pulled so tightly that the beast couldn’t blink. Its eyes were shriveling. You could see thick white rings around the irises. The left iris was a poisonously bright red while the right was a yellow that reminded you of urine. The beasts lips were pulled back from its teeth in a permanent snarl. Its teeth were yellow. It was disgusting. Looking at it made you nauseous. This dragon was not graceful or beautiful like its brothers and sisters. It truly was a monster.

Its head snaked around until its eyes landed on you. You heard a growl surface in its throat.

“WHO DARES DISTURB THE GREAT LORD ENGLISH??” It roared.

The force of its voice shook you to your core.

Then you woke up.

* * *

 

When your eyes snapped open, you were covered in a cold sweat and panting your lungs out. Your heart slammed in your chest and your hands gripped the sheets with enough force that they almost tore. Ice ran through your veins and left you trembling. You could still hear the beast's voice echoing in your mind. There was a horrible feeling in your gut and somehow you knew you would have to face that thing in battle.  You were terrified. You sure as _hell_ didn’t stand a chance against that goliath. It literally could just step on you and whatever minor threat you posed would be gone in less than a second. You didn’t want to die. At least not by the hands of _that_.

As you tried to calm yourself down, you became aware of a throbbing ache behind your eyes lacing up to your temples and branching out over the top of your skull. You groaned and brought your hands up to your face and rubbed your eyes. Your breathing finally evened out and you dropped your hands onto your chest. You glared at the ceiling. You hated having dreams like this. They always ended up happening. You’d think that having glimpses of your future would be handy but no. You took a deep breath and let it out in a woosh. You slowly became aware that it was windy outside. You let this calm you. You didn’t know why but the gentle howling of the wind could always calm you down. Gradually, the sound of the wind gently put you back to a dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

When you woke up for the second time, it was morning. Sunlight streamed in through the slats on a window you hadn’t seen in the dimness of the night. The brightness illuminated the dust floating in the air and you were briefly reminded of fae dragons. Fae dragons could wrap around your wrist and were usually harmless. Sometimes royalty would keep some as pets. They came in an array of bright, beautiful colors and actually were similar to hummingbirds because they drank nectar from flowers but they also were known to eat insects. They actually were quite interesting. You let your mind drift for a few more seconds before slowly throwing your legs over the side of the bed and sitting up. You sighed and vigorously rubbed your face with your palms. You stood up and stretched causing your back and shoulders to pop loudly. You glared down at your armor but still put it on albeit reluctantly. After you’d finished the arduous task of putting on your heavy armor, you strapped your even heavier battle-hammer to your back.

You checked to make sure you hadn’t left anything in your room and then heavily trudged down to the main room for breakfast. Or lunch. You didn’t know how long you’d been asleep as there wasn’t a clock in your room. When you trumped heavily down the stairs, Mrs. Paint immediately emerged from behind the curtain and grinned at you.

“Good mornin’, child! Come, sit down. Ya’ must be starvin’.” She ushered you to a table close to the check-in counter and swiftly disappeared behind the curtain once again.

The curtain hadn’t even had a chance to settle before Mrs. Paint was pushing it aside and reemerging with a plate piled with food. Eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and steak covered every spare inch of the plate and your mouth watered just looking at it. You hadn’t noticed Mrs. Paint walk away but soon she was back again, this time with a large mug of orange juice.

“Thank you!” You exclaimed to her.

“No need to thank me, child. I just want to keep a growin’ boy heatly and happy.” She smiled warmly at you and vaguely you wondered if she had any children and if they were staying with her husband back in Alternia.

She left you to eat and went to chat with the one other man in the room. You practically inhaled the food and drink and before you knew it, you’d polished the plate free of even a crumb. You gulped down the orange juice and quickly stood up. You looked around and spotted a clock on the wall next to the door. It was just after 10 in the morning. Your eyes widened in shock. You were supposed to be out of here and looking for a job three hours earlier! You hastily called out one last thank you to Mrs. Paint before you bolted out the door and hightailed it to the barn around behind the inn. Casey nickered when she saw you, her ears pricked and her nostrils flaring. She seemed to be asking you what took so long. You went to her and opened the stall door, stepping inside with her.

“Sorry, girl. I overslept.” You said while stroking her neck.

She turned her head to look at you and snorted loudly. You laughed and grabbed her bridle from off the hook on the stall door. You slipped the bit into her mouth and pulled the headstall over her ears before leading her out into the aisle. You’d trained her to ground tie so when you dropped the reins to the floor, she stayed put. You quickly went over her coat with a stiff brush and then a soft brush, picked her hooves, and brushed her mane and tail. While you groomed her, she cocked her back hoof and fell asleep with her lower lip hanging open. Her ears were almost parallel with the floor. Lightly, you slapped her shoulder and she jerked awake. She went back to standing on all four feet, knowing that the annoying part was coming next. You quickly placed all of her armor onto her body and stepped back to make sure everything was comfortable for Casey. You deemed it ok and moved on. With a grunt, you lifted your saddle off the ground and tossed it up onto her back. You pulled it up on her withers just a bit before bending over to fasten the cinch. Then you did up the back cinch, and then buckled on the breast collar. You tied on all of your saddle bags and other necessities, checked to make sure nothing had been taken, and before you mounted, noticed that everything had been polished. The barn hand had probably done it. You turned around to look for him and noticed him sitting on a bale of hay in the back of the barn, reading a book.

“Stay.” You told your mare, before walking over to the barn hand.

“Did you polish my stuff?” You asked him bluntly.

“Y-yes, sir.” He timidly looked up from his book and spoke in a whisper.

“Thank you! I really appreciate it.” You smiled at him and pulled out your two remaining silver coins.

“T-thank you, sir, but you d-don’t h-have to pay me.” He was staring at the money like a starving man stares at food.

“No I insist.” You took his hand and placed the two coins in his palm before curling his fingers around them.

“Thank you, sir.” He grinned at you with childlike glee before marveling at the silver in his palm.

You smiled at him before turning back to your horse. You had to find a job.

 

* * *

 

After a bit of searching and snooping and “accidentally” dropping your glasses, you found that the town of Augbohrn did, in fact, have a dragon problem. An Acid Spitter had been stealing farmers cattle and sheep and has spat acid on a farmer's daughter, giving her third degree burns on her face, chest, and arms. It had been a long time since you’d fought an Acid Spitter, and the last time had almost ended in you untimely death. You didn’t want that to happen again. But you were flat out broke so you had to do this whether you wanted to or not. The reward for bringing back its head was 300,000 gold pieces and the significant price told you that this dragon was a serious problem. You read up a bit more on the Acid Spitter, where it seemed to be taking its prey and the areas it seemed to favor before you went off to search for it.

You rode out of town at the grand hour of 1pm. You were running late but you figured the dragon wouldn’t care. You rode Casey around aimlessly in the woods for what you’d guess to be about four or five hours before finding any traces of the dragon. A line of shrubs had been completely flattened. You got off of Casey and followed the flattened bushes, your mare following behind you. After wandering around for a solid two hours, you began to complain to yourself.

“Why do dragons have to be so fucking hard to find why can’t they just make this easy for once?? Ugh, when I kill this thing I’m never leaving my house again.God, it’s so fucking dark where’s the moon when you need it. I can’t believe I ev- OH SHIT.” You were cut off from your unhappy muttering when the ground gave way beneath you.

You landed hard on your ass in the middle of a corridor. Casey whinnied down to you and you called out that you were ok. You panted for a second before standing and looking down both ends of the hallway. You heard noise coming from the left side of the corridor so you went that way. You’d only taken a few steps when you heard a loud thump behind you. You whipped around and saw that your god damn horse had followed you down into the hole. You just sighed. The hallway was carved out of bedrock, but it seemed like the owner had shoved cracked chunks of granite in the walls in an attempt to make it look more classy. It didn’t work.

After about five minutes of walking, you really wished that the corridor was shorter. You’d done quite a bit of walking and frankly, you were tired. Slowly you began to notice that the area was taking on the scent of roses. It was odd seeing as you were underground. Faintly, you wondered if the occupant of this cave was the Acid dragon. You hoped not. You wouldn’t have enough energy to fight the thing. Hell, you’d probably walk in there and it would take one look at you and decide you weren’t worth the effort. You weren’t small by any means, but right now, you were quite tired. Your back ached from your hammer and your heavy armor. Your feet dragged and your mouth was painfully dry. You definitely looked pathetic. You shook off these thoughts when you heard a loud noise from the end of the corridor that was rapidly drawing nearer. You could see a light.

When you came up on the end of the corridor, you certainly hadn’t expected what you saw. It was a dragon, yes, but it wasn’t the Acid Spitter. It was an _Imperial_. Imperials were very rare and almost thought to be extinct because no one had seen one for decades. They were hunted frequently for their impressive horns and leather wings. But this dragon was surely alive and it was gorgeous. Its body was a beautiful crimson and it had dark red bar stripes running from its head all the way down its tail. It had a beautiful blond mane that ran down its back periodically interrupted with small, white spines. Its wings were massive. Even closed against its long torso, you could tell that they had a tremendous wingspan. Its horns were an extremely dark red. So dark they were almost black. Small tufts of yellow hair grew on the elbows of its front and back legs. You were looking at it from behind so you couldn’t really see its face. It whipped its tail to one side and you could feel the air hit you from the force of the motion. You were in awe of this beautiful creature.

You could’ve stayed there and marveled at the marvelous beast for hours if Casey hadn’t come up behind you and snorted loudly. You almost choked on your spit when the dragons head shot up and around to stare at you. You couldn’t speak, your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. All you could do was stare at it. Its lips pulled back from its teeth, exposing sharp fangs that could easily tear you to shreds. You felt heat rise up to your face and you managed to let out a small squeak. Casey on the other hand, let out a shrill scream of terror and fled down the corridor, leaving you alone. The reptile turned its body so it was facing you. It extended its wings a bit to make itself look more intimidating (it didn’t need to, you were already about to soil your trousers). You choked out an apology and took a step back. It lunged forward and you stumbled backwards so quickly that you tripped over your feet and fell on your ass once again. The beast made a huffing noise that seemed like a laugh before coming to stand over you. It turned its head and looked at you. You were once again floored by its beauty. The dragons eyes were the color of liquid rubies. They were truly stunning and you found yourself staring rudely once again and you quickly averted your gaze.

The dragon seemed to deem you not a threat because to your surprise, it leaned back on its back legs, and began to transform. Soon, a tall, fair skinned, white haired boy was squatting in front of you. He just seemed to keep getting prettier. You must have said that out loud because he laughed and thanked you. Your face turned an even brighter shade of red when he snorted at the look on your face.

“Whats your name?” He tipped his head to the side and gazed at you with wise eyes.

“J-Johnathan. My name is Johnathan.” You managed to only stumble over your words once.

“Nice to make your acquaintance, Johnathan.” He reached out to shake your hand.

“Whats yours?” You breathed.

“My name,” he began, “is David.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20 points if you can find the foreshadowing
> 
> Caseys armor (johns armor is the same color blue): http://posercontent.com/sites/default/files/products/140526/1624/ceremonial-hors-for-poser-3.jpg
> 
> acid dragon that john is hunting: http://yty2000.deviantart.com/art/Acid-Dragon-75442189
> 
> I'll add a picture of dragon Dave in the next chapter


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DRAGON DAVE: http://pageofmemes.tumblr.com/post/122764195524/dragon-dave-for-the-dumb-fanfic-im-writing
> 
> imnot wearing my glasses rn and i cant see forgivemy typos
> 
> im sorry this took so long to update my life has been fuckin hectic as shit and ive been sleeping at weird hours bc insomnia yay

David, you learned, was one of the last of his breed. Most of the others had been killed off, his older brother included. He came from a small clutch of four, he had two sisters and a brother. The sisters names were Rosaline and Roxane. The brothers name was Dirk. David's older brother had been killed in a fight by a giant Wyvern. This Wyvern had been one of the biggest ever seen by dragon and mankind put together. Black scales all over with jade green eye spots on its wings and a scar over its left eye. It was missing its right arm. David still searched for this Wyvern so he could avenge his brothers soul. You also thought it was so he could get closure but you didn't voice this thought. All in all, David seemed to be one of the nicer dragons that lived in the country of Wynd. His eyes were calm and relaxed and his poise was smooth. His step was fluid and graceful, unlike your heavy plodding.

He led you around his lair, which wasn't as big as it seemed. It had its treasure hoard, a storage room, a den, and a room for strange collectibles. Large jars with preserved, dead animals lined shelves and the larger ones took up space on the cave's floor, by the walls. Large swords took up the remaining space on the walls. He had quite the array of them if you said so yourself. He had ones with straight, flat blades with thick grips and large cross guards. He had some with thin, wide blades and intricate patterns. Some with curved blades and others the size of your entire body. Two handed swords and single handed swords. It truly was a beautiful collection. You stopped to admire one and unthinkingly reached out to touch the blade and heard a low sound from behind you. You quickly recoiled your hand the same time you remembered that dragons were horribly possessive.

"My apologies, David. I wasn't thinking." You spun around and looked at a point just to the left of the beasts ear.

With your peripheral vision, you noticed his eyes flick up and down your body with a squinted gaze. You awkwardly shifted from foot to foot and clenched your fists at your side. He took a step forward and your nerves jumped. Your eyes flickered to meet his and you could see distrust swirling in his irises. A muscle in his cheek twitched.

"Do not touch my belongings without my permission, knight." His voice was thin with withheld anger.

"Of course. I'm very sorry to have upset you." You mentality cheered when you'd voice didn't break as you spoke.

He stared at you and you squirmed under his gaze. Your eyes looked at his momentarily and for a split second you thought you saw the lust he looked at his treasures with. The hair on the back of your neck raised and a snake of anxiety writhed in your stomach. Your heartbeat spiked and you wondered if this beautiful dragon would kill you and add your gray, bloated corpse to his hoard. The snake of anxiety wound its way up into your chest and coiled around your heart. You threw your gaze to other areas of the room and your arms came up to cross over your chest. Discomfort was choking you.

"Of course, knight. You meant no harm." When he spoke, a warning was laced into his voice.

"Of course not." Your voice rattled with fear and this made the man in front of you smirk.

David turned and motioned for you to follow him. You did hurriedly and stepped into place beside him. After a few moments of silence, your anxiety was replaced by curiosity. You didn't think that there could be much more to his lair and you had to restrain yourself from running forward with the childish glee that flooded through your veins. You were lost in thoughts of what else the dragon could posses and soon you realized that he'd been saying something.

"What was that?" You shook yourself from your thoughts to look at him.

"I asked where you hail from, knight." One delicate, platinum eyebrow raised.

"I come from the city of Prospit! I'm a dragon knight." You straightened with pride and looked at the dragon.

David's eyes had narrowed after you spoke and you could see his shoulders tense.

"A dragon knight? What are you hunting?" His eyes were guarded.

Your features scrunched up when you remembered that you had been on a hunting trip.

"I'm hunting an Acid Spitter that has done damage to the nearby town. It's eating their cattle and had injured residents." You stopped walking. "I should get back to that, actually."

The dragons shoulders had relaxed but he still looked at you with a suspicious gaze. He was silent for a moment.

"May I accompany you on this trip, knight?" His question surprised you.

"O-oh. I-um-sure? If you'd like to?" You hoped you weren't as surprised as you looked.

His expression changed into one of excitement. He looked like a child. Happily, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you down the corridor to his hoard room. He dragged you to one pile before he released you and practically dove into the pile of gold and other items. After a long few minutes, he reemerged fully dressed in armor that was an eye-catching shade of cardinal. A long cape floated behind him. His pale skin and fair hair stood out starkly from the red but it looked very good on him. Excitement was still plain on his face and he grabbed your arm again and hauled you to the room with his odd collectibles. He dropped you again and inspected one or two of his many swords before he picked up a simple, flat one with a long grip and a thin blade. He looked around for a sword belt and after finding one, belted it around it waist and sheathed his sword. After he finished his fussing, he turned to look at you with his hands on his hips and a grin on his face.

"How do I look?" He asked you, enthusiasm playing with his words.

It took you a second to respond because honestly he looked stunning.

"Very good. Perfect knight material." You finally managed to get out. If he noticed the look on your face, he didn't say anything.

You cleared your throat and turned around.

"We should find Casey. So we don't have to do as much walking." You heard him come up beside you.

"We can find her later. I want to get out of this cave." He said this with a note of finality so you didn't argue.

You followed him around the caverns until he found the hole you'd fallen through. He sighed heavily out his nose and turned to look at you.

"I take it this is where you entered?" David looked less than pleased but you could tell that he was hiding a smirk.

"Yeah. I, uh, I was walking and then the ground just let out." You looked up through the hole. You could see the night sky.

"Well then I guess this'll have to do." Without warning, he grabbed you and pushed you up through the hole.

You grabbed the rim and pulled yourself up, David pushing on your thighs and feet to help. Once you were out of the hole and back on the wet, grassy ground, you reached back into the hole and grabbed David's outstretched arms and pulled him up. You grunted under the strain and when you got him out of the hole his body flopped on top of yours, causing you to fall back in an extremely uncomfortable position. Your legs were folded and you assumed that you resembled a M. A hiss of pain escaped your lips and you hurriedly shoved David off of you so you could extend your legs and free yourself from the pain. David looked slightly startled at your harsh movements.

"Sorry. Awkward angle. Sitting like that hurts." You smiled at him sheepishly as you rotated your ankles.

"Why are humans so delicate? You can barely take a step without hurting yourselves." David rolled his eyes.

"Hey, that's not true." You whined. He twitched.

"You're so annoying." He muttered. He had to hide his smile.

* * *

 

After searching for a good three hours, David suggested searching from the air. You agreed. You could see how eager he was to fly. You'd found a small clearing and with an excited bounce in his step, he morphed into his dragon self and stretched out his entire body. His tail curled up to meet the sky and he exhaled deeply into the stars. His wings extended to cover the trees and you were breathless because you'd never seen anything as beautiful as him before in your entire life and you _loved_ it.

When David came down from his small high, he turned to you and kneeled, allowing you to sit in the dip of his neck just before his shoulder. He was trembling with excitement. As soon as you were settled, he launched himself into the sky. The feeling of flying was exhilarating. The wind lashed across your face and stole the air from your lungs but you were close to the stars and you could see into forever and you never wanted this to stop. David was extremely excited. His eyes were closed and he steadily increased his distance from the ground. His flying was graceful and smooth, much like a hawk's. You think you screamed sometime through the whole ordeal but you didn't remember.

Once you'd landed, you were close to the Acid Spitter. David stayed as a dragon and led you to the beast. It was truly a sight to behold. And not in a good way. Its smooth skin differed between a harsh orange to a soft gold and in some places a mild red. Its back was a high arch that sloped down into a dished face with a gaping hole that festered with infection and drooled pus and toxic acid. Beady eyes followed you warily and saliva dripped from its open mouth.

The Spitter attacked you as soon as you stepped through the bush that concealed it. You yowled and stumbled backward to avoid the thick stream of toxic chemicals that sprayed at your face. Mere seconds after the monster attacked you, David was on it. He roared and clawed and bit at it with an aggression that rivaled the Spitters itself. He was significantly larger than the Spitter so his back legs remained on the ground while his body curved uncomfortably over the beast. You pulled your hammer from your back ready to join the fight. You made an easy swing that caught the beast on the side of its face. It reeled away from the blow in shock and tried to shake David from its back to no avail. You swung again and it ducked, missing your attack. It swung its head around and sprayed a cloud of acid directly into your face. You screamed, dropped your weapon, and fell to your knees with your hands clutching your face. This seemed to enrage David further because you heard him viciously tear into the dragons flesh and rip it apart. The Spitters roars of pain eventually subsided to small gurgles and then finally to silence.

"Johnathan! Johnathan look at me! John please!!" You could faintly hear David calling you and you let your hands drop from your face. You didn't open your eyes as blackness rushed to meet you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw u r forced to remember that your left eye sees worse than your right eye and it makeseverything a blurry mess
> 
> my b;og: pageofmemes.tumblr.com


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